MAD MANATEE Mentor Group (TriAya & lmscozz)--CLOSED! (Page 5)

pga_mike - 2010-12-25 2:40 AM Just did a wee little run today.  'Twas the last long run for my daughter before the Disney 13.1 in two weeks.  It is interested running slower.  It is probably similar to the pace that my run will be at IM Spud.

TriAya - 2010-12-24 1:38 PM

Huh, who, me? What's funny is I'm a complete picture hog and I can't find a closeup in my albums. I'll try to attach or paste one in later.

It's a dragon, in the shape of a Y, draped onto an Indonesian dagger (called a kris, which has a curvy blade) ... there's actually a significance to nearly every part of it [the images, of course, what the dragon is holding, # of blade curves, the letters that the dragon's horns spell out, ad nauseam] but that's the gist.

You got any tattoos? Anybody else have any fun tats they want to post pictures of?

mackjenn - 2010-12-23 11:41 PM Bike Riding Fear:  First - I think it is great that you are interested in overcoming your fears and getting out on the bike.

I'm not a professional cyclist, but was a licesned racer about 15 years ago and basically spent many hours on it growing up - mostly road, but also more recently mountain.  My top speed on a road downhill has reached 60 +mph, so no fear of speed now.  I've been heavy and was always the fastest one going down (made up for me being the slowest going up).

That said - take what you think will help:
First get comfortable on the bike.  If borrowed, it may not fit properly which will hurt control and comfort.  If the handlebars are too far from the seat, it shifts you weight to the front and can make the bike more unsteady when removing your hands for shifting (if necessary).  Old rule of thumb for road bike is that you should not see your front fork when in the drop position.  Get real low or high, it might not be, but it should be for netral position.  You may not want to be on a tri bike yet due to the extreme position - stick to a well fitted road bike or mountain bike.

Second - get used to shifting.  This is best done on a trainer so there is no possibility of crashing - a trainer where you mount your bike, not one that is completely different.  You want to learn how to shift your bike.  If no trainer, then do it in a grassy field, stick with low gears so it is easy to pedal.  I also liked the comment about using an empty parking lot.  Think about is as learning to drive again - you had similar concerns when starting to drive and the bike is no different.  What worked for you then?

Third:  do them together in controlled situations.  Get a parking lot and set-up a route that requires turning, shifting, and stoping.  Keep doing the course while trying to pick up your speed.  Go no faster than you are comfortable with, but the intent is to continue to get fasterwith each lap or session.  Protect yourself - long pants and shirts.  Elbow pads if you have them.  Crashing at low speed is not bad as you will learn about control each time.  No need to crash on purpose here (yet).

Now -in no particular order (it worked for ME - MAY NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE) - some drills:
- Crash.  Yea - crash.  Don't do a header on pavement, but go to a grassy field - wet one works great because you can skid some and ground is not as hard.  Lower you seat some and make the bike skid or slide around - make it fun and do it with friends (do it is a mud pit).  Be a child, be safe, but try to get the feel of loosing and regaining control of the bike.  We used to get old training bikes and try to knock each other off them in a field to get used to riding in a tight pack as well as getting used to physical contact when riding.  As bad as it sounds, fear reduces as you get familiar with losing and regaining.  PLEASE take this at a pace that you are comfortable with - if not ready, don't do it - getting hurt can be counter productive.

- Get rollers if you can.  They really really help with control and focus.  Although they are not good for doing intervals, they are great for control.  PLEASE - they are a little more advanced, but they are the best thing for bike control.  Great bike control = less fear.  Note that I've crashed more on my rollers than on the road.

- Miles, Miles, and Miles.  Find a rolling road that will require shifting with little to no traffic.  Think about base miles - just riding to get the feel of the bike. You will find yourself getting more and more comfortable on the bike.

- Get riding partners.  Someone who will ride with you at your pace but also capable of riding a little faster to help you get used to speed - do some intervals and play catch.  You go x and once reached, they try to catch-up.  You can also try to catch up to them (we called it leap frog).

- Do mini-sprints.  Pick a tree out and try to ride as hard as you can until you pass it.

- If your front wheel ever starts to wobble when going down hill, don't panic.  Apply more weight to the wheel (lean forward) and LIGHTLY start applying the brake.  Once you regain control - proceed to a bike shop to fix the issue.

Reading through some of the concerns, I get the feeling that most of the fear comes from losing control while doing something new, so you need to focus on improving control and knowing what to do to bring yourself back from the edge of control.  Sometimes the only thing you can do is to test yourself in this area - so do it in safe situations before you need it.

Any thoughts or clarificaiton?  I'm getting tired, so I may have rambled.  Any other suggestions?

TriAya - 2010-12-24 2:56 PM hi lounav! do you go by "Lousie" ... that's not a typo in your signature?

That would be a typo (one of my many specialties)!

Anyhow--trainer v. rollers is a tough question. If you CAN get a cheap trainer on CL, go for it. (note that the cheaper ones are usually noisier and can create a stiff wind ... if that's not a problem, go for it. feel free to ask more about dif kinds of trainers as well)

I have to admit, I'm kind of a rollers fan. They're cheaper, and they really help you focus and to me give you a very good feel for your bike, which helps with handling. The downside is that there's a definite learning curve, and you really can't do anything else on rollers but ride (don't even think about answering that cell call. you WILL fly off the rollers ...)

lounav - 2010-12-24 4:17 PM

 Flying off the rollers...trying to scare me out of it?!  So is your bike hooked into the rollers and you go flying off - or do you and the bike go flying?  Perhaps time for me to check it out on youtube.  

mackjenn - 2010-12-25 4:44 AM found a video of someone on rollers.  Not bad for his first time.

Some useful pointers - being able to lean on the wall is good.  Also works in a doorway if you don't have a narrow hall.  Having a step or something next to you will help mount / dismount since the bike will be several inches higher than usual.  Finally - note that he comments about being in the highest gear - this is true if you don't have some form of resistance on the rollers.  Most riding resistance comes from the wind and the rollers only duplicate rolling resistance (I used to use dual fans for hard work, single fan for just riding).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSn_9HRcXr4&feature=player_embedded

some cool riding by someone who spends lots of time on rollers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiCdm5FsJpg&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

TriAya - 2010-12-24 1:48 PM THE MANATEE TABLE IS DONE!

at least, the first draft. The version below should be clickable. Please check to see if your name is right and if clicking on your name actually takes you to your log.

You could go ahead and cut and paste this table into your log, but if I were you, I'd wait a few days and see what troubleshooting might need to be done ... in the meanwhile, I'll post the log each new page of threads so you won't have to hunt for our team links.

Yanti and Lynn's Manatees GROUP THREAD

crews (Carla) Airshooter (Floyd) Galwegian (Niall)  A Little Madness (Mary)  tri ryan (Ryan) pga mike (Mike) mackjenn (John)  Lynn - lmscozz spar (Tanya)  Yanti - TriAya jogo (Jo) bluwatersoul (Megan) kalico123 (Kathy) lounav (Louise) Mrschach (Megg) burnettbunch (Jenn) iluvmybeamer (Joni) Tucker lr cggale (Claire) schapopa (Arek) crystalashworth (Crystal) SteveyD (Stephen, Steephee)

 

 

  

pga_mike - 2010-12-25 8:44 PM
I ated and dranked about 12,000 calories in the last 24 hours.  Now I feel like this.

mackjenn - 2010-12-26 2:27 AM Hey Manatee's:  My Holiday Gift to you is a F3P, or a Family Friend Free Pass.

Basically- any calories you consume with family and friends today (Christmas) do NOT count toward any weight gain - basically, they are free.  Only one condition.  To activate the F3P, you just have to work out a minimum of 1 hour tomorrow.  EASY AS THE PIE YOU HAD TODAY!!!

Hope you enjoy and perhaps get that hour in early.

F3P applies for new year's too; however, It is more difficult to activate / use (kind of like frequent flyer miles).  To use, you must iniitate the workout within 1 hour of sun-up.  :-)

Happy Holidays!

SteveyD - 2010-12-26 10:37 AM
Sounds like a brilliant present
I'm rather happy today after the cricket ! (I forgot to say, ik'm a raving brit)
http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/england/england-in-australia-2010-11/ashes-day-by-day/
I'll post my introduction later xD  

mackjenn - 2010-12-25 8:27 PM Hey Manatee's:  My Holiday Gift to you is a F3P, or a Family Friend Free Pass.

Basically- any calories you consume with family and friends today (Christmas) do NOT count toward any weight gain - basically, they are free.  Only one condition.  To activate the F3P, you just have to work out a minimum of 1 hour tomorrow.  EASY AS THE PIE YOU HAD TODAY!!!

Hope you enjoy and perhaps get that hour in early.

F3P applies for new year's too; however, It is more difficult to activate / use (kind of like frequent flyer miles).  To use, you must iniitate the workout within 1 hour of sun-up.  :-)



Happy Holidays!